Ceramic Marguerite

Materials

You can come and meet us and see samples of the different types of stones available at our showroom in Durrington cemetery, however the information below gives you an idea of the different materials available.

Slate

Un polished slate is a compressed layer of stone that is very strong and durable and takes lettering well. It can be carved only or a white wash of paint applied. Blue / grey in colour.

Portland stone

Un polished Portland limestone is the classic headstone material. Cream in colour, it lends itself to beautiful, deep, hand carved letters. The V cut of the carving will help form a shadow in the letter and therefore, highlight is not required.

Nabresina

Un polished Nabresina limestone is light grey in colour and is slightly denser than Portland stone. It contains small, darker grey shells that add to its appearance and which makes it harder and more durable than Portland stone. Smaller, machine cut letters would be more suited to this material.

Marble

Un polished White Marble stone is beautiful when new and carves deep letters due to its softer composition. From Italy, white marble is the best choice for more intricate designs that require shaping and hand carving, like the pages of a book. It is however, more prone to erosion over the years and requires more cleaning and maintenance than other materials used.

Purbeck

Un polished Purbeck limestone is a rich looking material, honey coloured and full of little shells and fossils. Bold letters are required so that they can stand out from the textured material. A wash of brown paint is sometimes used to allow the lettering to stand out more from this more natural looking stone.

Granite

Polished or un polished, granite is the hardest of all the materials and requires very little maintenance over the years. Machine cut letters are required with a highlight to allow them to stand out from the colour of the stone. As it is such a hard stone, less shaping is used and a memorial will have a more flat finish to it rather than the intricate design that could be achieved with marble.

National accreditation

As genuine and skilled craftspeople, we pride ourselves on the personal service we offer and we take account of your wishes in designing a beautiful memorial which is a fitting, individual and lasting tribute to your loved one.

We are members of NAMM which safeguards the interests of the bereaved through the promotion of high standards, wide choice and increased understanding in all matters relating to natural stone memorials.